Automating Eagle export and preparing it for printing.

This is my first instructable and English isn't my primary language so I hope it will be not so bad. There are many instructables for creating boards in Eagle and etching them trough many methods. But this instructable should be just for much faster and automated preparing images of board for printing. I was doing this on GNU/Linux Debian (so don't get confused from different GUI), but should be almost the same for Windows (just you need to edit the pathnames etc...). If it will be hard for somebody doing it on Windows platform I could make another one for Windows.

You need:
Eagle http://www.cadsoft.de/
GIMP (www.gimp.org)
Printer :)

It could be done in some other image editing software, for example in Photoshop. But Photoshop isn't for free and making there automated scripts is too easy and you don't need inscrutables to record action script there.

Step 1 Eagle

When you have your PCB board ready then open your favourite text editor and write there:


DISPLAY ALL
RATSNEST
DISPLAY None
DISPLAY Bottom Pads Vias
EXPORT IMAGE /mnt/slug_common/progs/!8051/!plosaky/!eagle_export.png MONOCHROME 600;
DISPLAY Top Unrouted Dimension tPlace bPlace



You can change the path there (I used this one because I have NSLU2 network drive and exporting directly there makes it accessible from every computer/PDA in my home (and garden as well :) ) ). It's awesome device :)

I saved it in my project folder under name "obraz.scr", you can save it where it is best for you and name it like you want, just keep the ".scr".

Then in Eagle click File -> Script.. Find the location of this script and open it. It will execute the script, it will hide some layers, export it as monochrome PNG image with 600 DPI (you can modify this if you want). You can see the resulting image here. And after exporting showes the layers back. It's great to have it automated because when I'm doing it over and over again, it eats plenty of time and usually I forget to hide some layer and I need it to do it once again. After time it's get very frustrating.

I think when you save this script in Eagles installation directory between others scripts you can execute the script just typing into command line "script obraz;"

Now you can click Options -> Assign and assign the command "script obraz;" with some short-cut, for example Shift+F1. And from this point exporting in Eagle will be super quick.

Comments

[fuxx]

Anton, Gimp scrip doesnt work.
Plug-In 'PCB-Filter' left image undo in inconsistent state, closing open undo groups.
Execution error for 'PCB-Filter':
Error: Procedure execution of gimp-image-convert-grayscale failed on invalid input arguments: Image '!eagle_export_b.png' (5) is already of type 'gray'

On the invert step gives out an error too.

[truhlik_fredy]

Hmmm, did you altered the output of the eagle?
Because If I remember right then eagle output wasn't GRAY even when

EXPORT IMAGE /mnt/slug_common/progs/!8051/!plosaky/!eagle_export.png MONOCHROME 600;

was set to monochrome.

[renenijman]

Hi,
I get 'unknown command' errors in every line. I'm using EAGLE 5.11.0 on Mac. What could be the problem?
Many thanks!

[truhlik_fredy]

I don't have Mac :) But try if the commands are working when typed manually. Near by the mouse cursor position coordinates is command line. Click there and type "display none" (without quotes and hit enter). If everything disappears then the commands are working and the problem is somewhere else. So check this first and let me know.

[gopalyajur]

Hello, I have two problems. 1. when I use step 1 and run the script, I do get the image file and png. But, in the final image the the tracks are distorted and gets connected randomly. And in the original CAD Board the tracks change when I use the script. 2. What is the use of second step, its it only for editing or directly creating the PCB image. I use windows and do I have to save the script as "SOMENAME.scm"? And where do I click "Xtns" is it in Gimp. Sorry for my basic questions. Thanks in advance.

[truhlik_fredy]

Did you got it to work?

[gopalyajur]

It works and very impressive. Thanks a lot. However, the image is inverted. The tracks are white and the parts to be etched are black. I am not using UV light but, use the chemical etching process. I just had to invert the image and it seems to work.

[truhlik_fredy]

Actually I wanted to have it inverted, because of the etching process and I wanted to have automated every step possible. But it should work for non-inverted process as well. It's in the instructable "You can delete "(gimp-invert 2) " line if you don't want to invert the image." I think you need to register the script again, but it should work. PS: Can you tell me what made the disruptions with routes in the eagle, I just want to know what I have to say when somebody else will have the same problem.

[gopalyajur]

I am just using the script you mentioned in step 1 and did not the one you mentioned in step2. Is it possible to change the script in step 1, so that the final image is inverted which is suitable for chemical etching? To be frank its not clear what I can do with step 2. After converting the CAD file to jpg using gimp I just inverted the circuit and got what I needed. The problem I had before is because I did choose just the not bottom layer but, other layers too.

[truhlik_fredy]

Alright when you don't need it, then you don't need it. Just don't convert it to the JPG, it's one of worsts formats what you can use for PCBs, especially when you are making real PCB from the image.

[truhlik_fredy]

Step 1) is for Eagle and it's just hiding some layers so when it will save the resulting image it will be clean from unwanted layers (where are for example descriptions for the chips etc...) Are you sure you routed the whole PCB? Are nets are connected? It will do the same when you do it manually, hide all layers and the show just this 3 Bottom Pads Vias. Or if you have 2 sides on PCB you must make little modification to show Top Pads Vias and save it to different name, and make separate files for top and bottom. The second step is just for adjustment to the image, making it b&w, making second copy and flipping it vertically and moving it to opposite corner. The script name it think is not important and the Xtns button is in the menu next to the File, but it's in the main GIMP window, not in images window.

[solex]

The dpi seems to  be linked to the img size, so the script makes images larger than they should be, what dpi would keep the resolution?

[solex]

My mistake, the program I was printing from on my works computer was not respecting the dpi info in the images.

[truhlik_fredy]

 It happens from time to time, you know that format keeps dpi, you know that programs are respecting that and then you will find combination of format and program where is some sort of bug and it's not working properly.

[lunchweek]

Is there any way to keep the board size?

[truhlik_fredy]

Perhaps we didn't understand us because it always keeps the size, without keeping the size there is no point to make such utility.

[lunchweek]

Yeah i just noticed that :) It works like a charm. Thank you!

[truhlik_fredy]

 :) I'm happy that it works for you :)

[abraxas2]

Sorry but I don't understand the path business. If I wanted to store this file in say C:\Electronics\Pic
What would I enter on the path line ?

[truhlik_fredy]

Perhaps it's misleading because the Eagle client is running on Linux machine.

I suppose that you are using Windows client, then it should be
EXPORT IMAGE C:\Electronic\Pic\MyNameForThePicture.png MONOCHROME 600;

Where the MyNameForThePicture.png should be replaced with yours filename.